My Closet Archives - Page 2 of 2

My Closet: my dresses of Dressember

12/17/2015 2 Comments

Today marks day 17 of Dressember, a month-long campaign to end human trafficking. I have joined with women from all over the world who are bringing light to this issue. As we commit to wearing a dress each day all month, we are saying that we are in thought, spirit and prayer (if we’re the praying type) with the victims of human trafficking. Human trafficking is a global problem where millions are kept in slavery around the world. It’s horrific.

As we go through my outfits this week, I also want to write about several stories of trafficking victims I’ve read. Since this blog is about the stories of women, I want to help share their stories so that you may be inspired to take action. Perhaps that action will look like educating your friends and family about the issue. Perhaps that action will look like making a donation to Dressember. Perhaps that may look like joining Dressember. There are so many possibilities when you open your heart to making the world a better place.

These photos are from several of my Dressember days. I hope you enjoy the outfits.

Dress: Apricot Lane
Jacket: H&M
Shoes: Rialto (I get SO many compliments on these)

The first story I’m sharing is about a woman named Nina. It initially caught my attention for obvious reasons. Nina was actually the pseudonym for the protagonist due to victim safety. Irregardless, it caught my attention.

Nina’s story is one of betrayal. She left her homeland of Bulgaria with her husband and child in search of work in Greece. Once there, her boyfriend forced her into prostitution. He threatened both her and her child if she refused. I cannot imagine what it must feel like to be betrayed by someone who you thought loved you.

She got arrested on a prostitution charge and the government referred her to the A21 Campaign who was connected with a crisis shelter. A21, by the way, is one of the two organizations that Dressember funds go to. Can I just say how I love that they referred her to a place where she could get help rather than prison? I’ve heard that this can be a problem, especially in the United States. Furthermore, victims in the US are often trafficked here illegally and have the danger of being thrown into an immigration detention facility. How unfair is that? Bottom line, victims of trafficking neat a safe place to heal. So I’m so glad that A21 was there to be that light for Nina.

When she arrived at the shelter, she was several months pregnant. She went back to Bulgaria and moved into the A21 transitional housing. She was then able to move into her own apartment.

Nina, however, had a talent. She could knit scarves. The social workers started selling her scarves. She now has six other women knitting scarves and has been promoted to part-time supervisor. The story talked about how hard it is for women in Bulgaria with small children to find work. Click here to read the story about Nina.

Also, I think I found the scarves! They look AMAZING! With winter kicking in, I may need to get one!

Also to note about this. This dress is compliments of Gwynibee, a dress-rental service focusing on plus-sized women. I am not plus-sized. I stumbled upon this website from an ad when they advertised “first 30 days free!” It was only after I committed that I realized that they do not have anything smaller than size 10. I’m normally a 6-8 in dresses, so it’s not terribly off. Plus some brands carry mediums. Like this one. Also, that print is of giraffes!

With this service, depending on how much you pay each month you can rent one, two or three items at a time. If you cannot part with an item, you have an option to buy. I’m excited to check a few more dresses before my free subscription runs out.

Anyway, so back to stories of trafficking victims. This story especially breaks my heart because the victim is six-years-old. I cannot remember too much from age six, but my memories were happy and innocent. I lived in a nice home with two wonderful parents who have always wanted the best for me. I was so lucky to have never experienced anything so horrendous.

This girl and four other children has been living in Cebu, Philippines in an abusive household. The children were a part of cybersex. Basically, pedophiles around the world pay to watch a live video of these children performing forced sexual acts. The disgusting thing is that these children were being abused by their own family members in their own home. These sorts of cases are the hardest to find because they are so hidden.

The US Department of Homeland Security traced the abuse to the Philippines and with the help of International Justice Mission, rescued the children. You can read the full story here.

This next series of photos were taken by my friend Hillary Cutter at the Contemporary Arts Center.

Nina-20 — Dress: Pitaya
Scarf: Earthbound Trading in Knoxville, Tenn
Shoes: Target

I hope these stories have resonated with you like they have with me. The good news is that myself and so many other women are doing something about this. You can be the change! Please visit my Dressember page if you wish. You can click here. Thanks for reading!

Dressember, My Closet

Sarah, a fellow Dressember blogger

12/10/2015 3 Comments

I would like to thank Twitter for this week’s My Closet feature. Twitter is how I met Sarah, the South Carolina woman behind the blog Bows and Clothes. She blogs about style, clothing, inspiration and encouragement. We initially found each other through Dressember.

If you are unaware, Dressember is a month-long campaign to raise awareness to end human trafficking. Women all around the world are committing to wearing a dress every single day for the entire month of December. The idea is that it is in solidarity with so many women who are being oppressed. Men can participate too. Many are choosing to wear bow ties all month in solidarity. Each participant can have their own fundraising page. Sarah and I both have one. The money goes to International Justice Mission and A21.

One day I was on Twitter retweeting some of the Dressember tweets as usual when I noticed that a girl named Sarah was retweeting me and liking my tweets. So naturally, I clicked on her profile and saw that she was also a blogger. I then of course clicked on her blog and learned that she was also participating in Dressember! That made me super excited. So I thought “I had better e-mail her!” She responded, of course. Sarah seems to be very engaged with her followers. Then, as what typically happens with good ideas, about a day later I decided that I should feature her on My Closet. So thus, here we are. These five dresses are special as they are some of ones she has worn for Dressember.

This first tunic-style dress is from Old Navy. She said she actually found it in the kids section. She doesn’t normally shop in the kid’s department, however these dresses were running large. I would have never guessed this came from the kid’s section, so she fooled me! She said the high-low hem is one of her favorite parts of this dress.

“If I were to just wear one dress for a whole month, I would pick this one,” she said.

This green dress is one she found at Ross. She said she initially bought it because of the bright green color and capped sleeves. It makes it easy to pair with a sweater. I really liked how she put the hot pink scarf with this outfit. Both shades of pink and green seem to pop, and thus work well together. Here’s another look at the dress:

This was another Ross find. Sarah says that Ross is probably one of her favorite places to find dresses as they have a large selection at reasonable prices. She felt like this one was very versatile.

These next two are Kohl’s finds. The pink one is one she instantaneously fell in love with when she saw it. She had to buy it. The striped one is one of those convertible dresses. It can be worn as a maxi, midi or skirt. Pretty neat

Sarah hopes that through her blog, readers will be inspired to be themselves. The quote “you are the only you, so you better be you” is in the “About me” section of her blog. While she has always been a fan of style blogs, her spirituality is what inspired her to start Bows and Clothes.

“One day I felt that God was calling me to have my own style blog since I love style and fashion,” she said. “I also want to inspire people, not because I think I’m perfect, but because God helps me with my imperfection.”

She has been blogging for about 13 months now. She just hopes her blog can inspire women. When she is not blogging, she can be found singing, making crafts, shopping or cooking.

Thanks Sarah! Best of luck in Dressember!

My Closet

Jenni’s salsa dresses + more

12/03/2015 No Comments

In high school as a basketball player, Jenni never thought in a million years she’d end up salsa dancing. She probably never even thought she’d find herself in a salsa club, let alone salsa dancing as part of a competitive team. Yet as an adult, she stumbled upon the hobby which led her to where she is today: a competitive salsa dancer with Salsannati, a competitive salsa group based in Cincinnati.

She sort of stumbled upon salsa dancing randomly and started doing it as a hobby. When she was out at the salsa clubs, she got to know some of the Salsannati coaches as they were also doing what they loved. A few years in, she expressed her interest in taking salsa dancing to the next level and was welcomed with open arms.

“From being an athlete growing up, I’ve always had a competitive side in me and even though I played basketball forever, I still loved being girly and feeling feminine,” Jenni said.

Salsa dancing was a great way to combine both things. Her love for dresses, however, started back in college. She also played college basketball, and would find herself feeling sweaty and gross afterwards. It would have been easy to just live in that space, but Jenni knew she didn’t want that. She still wanted to be able to carry herself in a feminine way, so she turned to dresses, heels and makeup. Today, she has between 50-70 dresses in her closet and lots of high heels to match.

“I feel on top of the world,” she says about wearing a dress. “I feel good about myself.”

The dresses Jenni chose for the shoot were a fun variety. A few were current or former salsa costumes. Others were fun pieces for nights out on the town. The common thread is that they are all tied to good memories. Every single one of these dresses is something Jenni feels good in the minute she puts it on.

We met up at her Hyde Park studio apartment on a cold and rainy Sunday morning. The top floor space, however, provided for a nice and cozy backdrop for all the photos we took. When I arrived, we instantly seemed to hit it off chatting about all sorts of things. She had her dresses all picked out on a rack by the mirror. Each one was unique in it’s own way.

First, she showed me her newest one. This dress is technically being debuted on A World of Dresses as she has not had the opportunity to wear it yet. The solid dark green and simple style makes it a perfect dress for when she’s feeling something a little more classic. However she also noted that she could dress it up with a pair of leopard print heels for a crazy night out with the girls.

These next few are our party dresses. As a salsa performer, Jenni spends much of her off time out at salsa clubs dancing and hanging out. This requires a fun wardrobe and she definitely has that!

She said her friends always poke fun at how over-dressed she often is. Whether it’s just a casual dinner or a late-night evening at the club, she takes every opportunity she can to go all out. She loves it.

“I always walk in like five stars, but it’s just how I am,” she said. “I feel most comfortable expressing myself through the dresses.”

Next we have the salsa round. I was especially excited for this. Her blue salsa dress was actually specially-made to fit her body measurements. It also came from overseas.

This white dress is what she considers to be a milestone dress. She wore it the first time she ever performed on stage with Salsannati.

“I remember the first time I put that on, I felt like I arrived,” she said. “I felt official. I felt confident and sexy, and just like I was ready to go out there and show all the hard work I had put in.”

This white one was worn at a Salsannati fundraiser. The team will actually host a fundraiser this Friday in Northside. Proceeds will benefit their trip down to Miami, Florida to compete in the Latin World Cup. She and the seven other members of the team plus a few supporting members will travel there December 15th. She’s excited for sure.

“When I salsa dance, I feel free,” she said. “I feel like I can just be myself and just interact with who I’m dancing with. I can just let loose and have a good time.”

My Closet

My Closet: Tea with Una

11/26/2015 No Comments

I love making new friends. This fall, I decided to commit to a year of service through AmeriCorps. One of my favorite things about doing this is meeting other like-minded people. There are roughly 15-18 of us in Cincinnati also doing AmeirCorps with my particular program and Una is one of them. Una graduated college last Spring, so AmeriCorps has provided her with her first post-college job. With grownup life comes grownup responsibilities. For Una, she’s enjoyed her year of service so far.

“It seemed like a good way to transition,” she said. “I knew I wanted to take a year before thinking about thinking about grad school.”

She has been a supporter of A World of Dresses since it’s inception, so I thought I’d feature her this week. We met up at Aquarius Star on Ludlow Ave. in Clifton for some tea, laughter and dresses. It was an amazing way to spend a rainy Saturday.

Through AmeriCorps, Una spends her days as a pre-school classroom aide at Corryville Catholic Elementary. She felt that this dress was fitting for the position considering it has dinosaurs on it. This was a Modcloth find as well. I now want a dinosaur dress.

“I really like working with kids,” said Una about her position. “It’s cool to build their first impressions of school and get them excited about reading.”

Next we have the polka-dot dress, something she found at a second-hand store. The black and white polka dots and flats pairs quite nicely with her grey tights. She originally got this dress for her college graduation. It’s very much associated with that big day, she said.

Every woman needs a little black dress. This is Una’s. This also was a Modcloth find. She joked that she wears this dress when she wants to feel like a grownup. Adulthood is something she admits she’s still attempting to figure out.

“I’m still learning how to dress like a grownup woman would and that’s been interesting to navigate,” she said.

From what I’ve seen, she seems to be rocking it.

So for the last dress, we broke our own rules. In fact, it’s not even a dress. It’s a skirt. However it’s not just any skirt. According to Una, it’s one of her most-worn skirts. Like the polka-dot dress, she also found it at a second-hand store back in high school.

Una, thank you for having tea with me and allowing me to photograph you!

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My Closet

Tabatha’s Tiny Closet

11/19/2015 No Comments

It was a Monday like none other. Mondays are my day off, so I find myself scheduling meetings and interviews for A World of Dresses. However taking photos of a tiny house was a little different. And I was excited.

Tiny houses have gotten some buzz recently. Perhaps it was the various articles on the Internet or that documentary on Netflix. I’m guilty as I have watched both. While I’m not sure if I’d ever live in a tiny house, they are so very intriguing. So when my friend Daveen told me she had a friend who lived in one with her husband and two dogs, I was fascinated. Furthermore, I was told that she too often wears dresses. I was sold. I had to write about her.

The tiny house that they inhabit is a tad different than the ones you may have read about. The two of them bought an old truck trailer and are in the process of turning it into a comfortable home. Their last home was a 1200 square foot loft in Over-the-Rhine, which they moved out of just about two months ago. They have been working on this house for the past year. Going from the city to a tiny house in Northern Kentucky is quite a change. And for Tabatha, a welcomed change as she commented on how much she enjoys the peace and quiet. Her two dogs seem to love it too.

As I park my car, I’m greeted by a woman in a blue and black polka-dotted dress. “Oh gosh, I sure hope you’re Nina,” she says to me. I knew she was Tabatha because why else would a woman in a fabulous dress ascend from a trailer of a truck?

She led me around to the back of the trailer. A set of stairs lead up to the actual truck.

In short, Tabatha is always down for adventure. She said she’s the friend her friends often call when they want to do something crazy or need some weird favor. So while her husband Noah often comes up with the crazy ideas such as moving into a tiny house, she’s the one who will actually help him carry out the big ideas. People often ask “how did you convince your wife to do this?” However she just laughs as there was hardly any convincing. Both have a desire to travel and careers they can take on the road, so a tiny house is absolutely perfect.

Featuring a woman of a tiny house is kind of neat. With a tiny house, you really have to pair down what you own. The dresses she chose for the shoot were the ones that made the cut.

“Especially in a tiny house, I can’t just splurge on things,” she said.

She looks for unique, one of a kind dresses. As a result, many have been found on Modcloth.

This here is her newest dress, which she says is sort of a wildcard for her. Big floral prints can be challenging as she doesn’t want to look matronly. Yet this one doesn’t look matronly at all.

This is her other dress that has that 1950’s silhouette look. I was amazed by the amount of poof both dresses had. Her secret is a brown crinoline slip that she recently found at a local vintage store.

“I love something that has a full body,” she said. Also, the twirl factor is important. She showed me … she can definitely twirl in both of these.

This pink hour glass, pinup-style dress is one of her favorites. Several years ago, she had a work party with the theme black, white and pink. She ordered this for it and it was a week late! So while she never had the chance to wear it to that party, she has worn it many times since.

“If I had an excuse to wear this everyday, I’d be all about it,” she said.

Next, we decided to shoot a few photos inside the home. The bedroom part was one she was excited to show off. That was one of the first rooms they had worked on. The dress here also has a fantastic story. She found it at a store in Portland, Oregon that takes old pieces of clothing and sometimes even furniture, and turns them into clothing. Often times, there’s only one or two of one dress because of this. So with this dress, she never has to worry about someone else wearing it too.

The one she ended with was pretty amazing. I love the bold prints.

“I feel like life is too short to be wearing boring things,” she concluded.

My Closet

My Closet: Lindsey’s Dresses, todo el año

11/12/2015 No Comments

Lindsey is who we’re hanging out with this week. Actually, Lindsey and I work together. She always wears the cutest dresses, so I thought “why not just bring my camera in for the next five days and document her office style?” The offices of Su Casa/Catholic Charities … provided some accent walls. We had fun, for sure!

The one everyone seems to borrow

The same day I came up with this brilliant idea, Lindsey just happened to be wearing a cute dress. I only had my cell phone camera but thought ¿Por qué no? (why not in Spanish. We speak a lot of Spanish at Su Casa). This one has been lent out to friends more often than any other dress she owns, she said. Because she wears dresses so often, when going out her friends have felt dressed down. So like any good friend, she is there to offer a dress! This one for sure seems like it would work for many occasions. Also, most people look amazing in dark blue.

The one Lindsey traded

Some days you need just need to get out of the office with a couple of your co-workers and eat at the Indian buffet down the street. This was taken on one of those days. Also looks are deceiving with this one. At first, I thought she was wearing an A-line skirt with a tucked-in top. Maybe it was the best that threw me. It is, in fact, a dress. It definitely gives off that stylish young professional vibe. I think we got a few weird looks as we were taking these … always fun! Also, where did this amazing weather go?

Lindsey said this one used to belong to her friend. One day, they decided to trade one dress with each other, and this is the dress she ended up with!

The thrift store find

We all know the feeling. We decided to take a look around Goodwill. Maybe we’ll find something. Maybe we’ll walk out with nothing except a few laughs at ridiculous t-shirts. Then we find it. We find IT! We find the cute, fun and one-of-a-kind dress (or hat, shirt, pair of pants, blazer, etc. but for me it’s always a dress). We feel so accomplished because we paid very little for such a unique find we can be sure no one else will have. Because the only time women are ever truly okay with wearing the same dress as someone else in the room is when they’re in a wedding party.

This dress is “that” dress for Lindsey. She remembers buying it at a thrift store. Also, love the purple wall? Thank you, Catholic Charities, for painting our office walls royal purple!

She also joked “I remember walking into Anthropology and getting a compliment on it. It was like ‘Hell Yeah!”

The one she wore to a rooftop party that one time

There’s nothing better than some pink and purple. One of Lindsey’s trick is making her dresses work for many occasions. Here, she’s wearing it with a professional black blazer and a pair of black heels. Very office chic. However one of her fondest memories in this dress was wearing it to a rooftop party in Chicago where she lived for several years. Good memories, I’m sure.

The one she took to Puerto Rico

This time, we opted to be different. We needed a change of scenery, so we thought a red wall would really shake things up. We might be getting to crazy over here. Sorry. I must say, I really like the gray in here. I feel inspired to incorporate some more gray into my life … just not 50 shades of it (come on. I just had to. Lo siento).

In March, Lindsey traveled to Puerto Rico and wore it just about every day while she was there. For her, she’s all about dressing her dresses up and down, depending on the situation. In fact, unlike a lot of people, she doesn’t pack up her summer clothes when the cold hits. Instead, she gets creative and has fun with what she has. She said her biggest style tip is just that.

“Don’t buy a new wardrobe,” she said in regards to wearing dresses in the winter. “Just wear tights, scarves, sweaters and blazers. Just play with what you already have.”

I suppose we’ll have to try that! Thanks Lindsey!

My Closet

My Closet: Taylor’s world of dresses

11/05/2015 No Comments

I met Taylor on a sunny day in the College Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati last Sunday. While the leaves had mostly all turned to fall colors and left the trees, the weather was quite puzzling. Yet when you had planned a photoshoot with dresses as your main focal point, you’re not complaining! So last Sunday I headed to Taylor’s house in a nice, quiet College Hill neighborhood for a little chat about her favorite dresses. I really had a great time. This is what she picked for her five favorites.

Taylor’s best friend dress

This is the dress Taylor wears most often. Some days she wears it with a cute pair of sneakers like we see here and other times she dresses it up with some heels. She’s worn it both for an evening out and for just a more casual day. A true little black dress if there ever was one

“If a dress could be your best friend, it would be this one because I wear it so often,” she said.

I dig how simple and also comfortable this dress seems. I also am a fan of pairing sneakers with dresses. People should do that more often. With this dress, it just seems to work.

The sexy dress

One of the many reasons why I love writing about women is learning about the common struggles we share and giving voice to them. Taylor admitted that this dress is a bit sexier than she usually goes for with the low neckline and exposed back. She said for a long time, she struggled to see herself as sexy or beautiful. I know I and many other women can relate. After all, we are our own worst critic. Furthermore, we compare ourselves to others constantly and we just need to stop.

This dress is a bit sexier than her other dresses, and for that reason, she loves this it. I love what this dress symbolizes for her. She said in the past few years, she’s really been coming around to simply loving herself. I know many of us can relate to the struggle. All I have to say is that this just looks amazing on her!

The bold dress

This dress was found at Kilimanjaro African Heritage on Ludlow Ave. in Clifton. In the past, Taylor would shy away from more bold and vibrant prints. These were things she always wanted to wear, so now she’s branching out and embracing it. She said she loves this store and that she can celebrate her African heritage through her style. Also, if you have not had the chance, you should definitely check out Kilimanjaro African Heritage. They have all kinds of neat jewelry and pieces.

The Birthday dress

Birthdays are one of Taylor’s absolute favorite things. In fact, she’s adamant about gathering her friends together to celebrate. She loves them so much that she even celebrates half birthdays, which she celebrated recently. This dark blue dress, however, was from her last birthday birthday, which she spent in Chicago with some friends.

The formal dress

When Taylor began studying at NKU, she wanted to be a music major, focusing on voice. I have seen a video of her singing, and it is amazing. However life took a different turn, and she ended up with a music minor. All majors are required to give a senior recital. While she was not required to do so as a minor, she wanted to. This is the dress she wore for the performance. Now she has a formal dress on hand if she ever needs it.

Overall, Taylor’s style is about what she likes and what she’s comfortable in. I love how she just wears what she wants. Thanks Taylor, for letting us take a peek at your style!

My Closet

My Closet: The Lovely Rita

10/29/2015 No Comments

I’ve known Rita for a good three-four years. The two of us met volunteering for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, and have been friends ever since. I have always admired her dresses. Like me, I noticed she has quite a collection. In total, she estimated she has about 20-30 in her closet. When I asked, she agreed with excitement! She specifically chose the dresses she considers more fun! Enjoy!

Starting with the fancy

When I arrived at her Covington, Kentucky apartment Monday evening, she was already wearing this beautiful dress and heels. “I figured, why not start out formal and then get more casual?” she said. Good point. She wore this dress as a bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding. The bride chose the color and allowed her bridesmaids to pick the dress they wanted within that. This dress just works for her. While she has not had the chance to wear it since, she would, she said.

The 1950’s dress

Weddings seemed to be a theme for these first few. Rita wore this dress to both her brother’s rehearsal dinner and friend’s bachelorette party (same friend that she was a bridesmaid for). The bachelorette party theme was 1950’s pinup girl. She just wanted a polka-dotted dress, and this fit within the theme.

My favorite feature of this dress is the back. I love how it comes together nicely.

The colorful dress

One thing I love about My Closet is learning where people find such unique pieces. For Rita, several have come from local Cincinnati
boutique Pangea. This colorful dress would be one of them. She has found much of her jewelry here as well, she said. Rita collects jewelry like I collect dresses. To spice things up in an office environment, Rita often pairs this with a black blazer and wears it to her job as the Volunteer and Staff Development Coordinator at the Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky. It’s always fun to make work more fun!

The dress she considered not getting

Another one of Rita’s favorite boutiques is Ottomon Imports in Covington. For some reason, I have yet to visit this shop. This dress makes me want to go for sure. She found this when shopping with her mom one day. While she initially liked it, she wasn’t so sure about actually buying it. It is so very unique and could be one of those dresses that sits in your closet because you never feel bold enough to wear it. I’m sure all of us have that piece that just sits in our closet.

However her mom convinced her to buy it and she is now glad she did. She has had the opportunity to wear it out several times. The neckline is incredibly unique as well as the sleeves. I could picture a woman living in Turkey actually wearing it. I’m not sure if the dress specifically came from Turkey, though. Rita did say the owner of Ottomon Imports finds the clothing and accessories she sells from all over the world. I really need to check this store out sometime!

The Starry Night dress

Once upon a time, someone told Rita that this piece reminded them on the famous Starry Night painting. A man named Vincent Van Gogh painted it … maybe you’ve heard of him? Anyway, Rita finds this one to be very versatile. “It transitions well and it’s really comfortable,” she said. It was perfect that we shot these photos just as it was turning to night.

This dress is simple yet fun. I love the neckline and how it gathers at the waist.

The flowery dress

This is a dress Rita has had forever, she said. She wears it all the time for an evening out or hanging out with friends. There’s nothing better than a tried and true dress!

The favorite summer/fall dress

This dress also comes from Pangea. Sometimes she pairs it with some “rockin’ heels” and other times she wears casual flats with this one. The neckline detailing is perhaps my favorite part!

Rita loves literature. In fact, she studied English in college. These last ones were taken by her bookshelf, one of several she that she has completely filled with her favorite works. I love that we can capture that part of her here.

For Rita, planning to wear a dress is one less thing she has to think about. She simply chooses the dress, the shoes and a few accessories, and she’s ready to go for the day! She also said they can be more comfortable than pants. I must say, I have to agree. Rita, thank you for letting us take a look at the dresses in your closet!

My Closet, Uncategorized

My Closet: Alex’s favorite few

10/22/2015 No Comments

For this week’s my closet, I decided to re-connect with an old friend named Alex. Alex and I initially met about six years ago through a church community we were both involved with. I always found her creative side to be intriguing. For many years she worked in a bakery making cupcakes and pastries. She is now refinishing furniture and is excited to see where that takes her. Her creative side was often expressed through her clothing, so I thought she would be fun to photograph and chat with. Due to both of our busy schedules, we met at Carabello Coffee in Newport Monday evening. The space provided for a wonderful backdrop.

Alex is currently going through a de-cluttering process. This is something I commend. It’s called the KonMari method as the book (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) is written by a woman named Marie Kondo. The idea is simple: you take each item and ask yourself if it truly brings you joy. If the answer is no, you get rid of this. Kondo recommends that you de-clutter by category so that you don’t feel like you’re repeating the same thing over and over as you go through your home. Alex just finished going through her clothing, something I feel is quite fitting for this blog. These are the four dresses that made the cut for Alex. As I asked her about each one, I can understand why each brings her joy.

The dark plaid dress

As we spoke about each story, it became very apparent how important Alex’s husband Cory is to her. This story behind this dress is quite a sweet one. Alex currently works at the GAP. Last November/December, Alex and he were in the store together. She had set aside a few things to show him and this dress was one he particularly like. Since she worked at the store, she put it back in hopes that it would go on sale at some point. Yet the more she thought about it that day, she realized she wanted it. The next day when she came to work, she was devastated that the last one in her size had been bought. She just figured some random person bought it and so she moved on. When Christmas came, she found out that Cory was the one who bought that last dress and he of course bought it for her. How sweet. Also, he’s great at keeping a secret!

The black t-shirt dress

Alex is trying to incorporate more black into her wardrobe, so this is a great way to do so! She said Cory likes when she wears black. She said she finds this funny, though, as most people have too much black in their wardrobe. Not her, however. This t-shirt dress and hat are from Old Navy, and her bolo tie horse necklace used to be her dad’s.

The striped dress

This is another piece from Old Navy. At one point Alex joked that this may seem like a sponsored post for Old Navy and GAP. Not this time around at least. Here she pairs it with a whistle necklace she bought at J.Crew. The black shoes are a GAP find, I believe.

One thing she noticed after she finished going through her clothing and getting rid of the things that did not bring her joy, what was left just seemed to fit together better. While her wardrobe was smaller than before, together it just seemed to all work. As she paired her shoes and accessories with her dresses, I definitely felt that.

The date dress

Honestly, this last one is my favorite. I just love the cute, girly look to it. It comes from Madewell. Several years ago, Alex actually ironically bought it to wear on dates. She said she felt as though she was in a rut and planned to “get back out there” with some online dating. Right as she decided to do that, she met her husband Cory through work. She actually wore it on a few dates with him. It’s also lucky that he came along then … online dating can be an adventure.

Her leather jacket has made an appearance in several of these photos. It’s an Inc. by Macy’s jacket. It was a Christmas gift from her sister.

It was good to catch up with Alex. I’m excited to see where her creative passions take her. Also, since Cory seems to be pretty amazing, we thought we’d give his music a shout-out on here. It’s called Zoo and you can check out their Bandcamp page here.

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